


Ryo: A Year

by WhiteFoxKitsune (ProwlingThunder)



Series: To The Day [1]
Category: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors
Genre: Chronic Illness, Deathbed, Gen, Sickness, apprentices, dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 02:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8126429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/pseuds/WhiteFoxKitsune
Summary: A year to the day the War ended, Ryo closes his eyes for the last time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Old fic for an old series I'm picking back up again.

A year to the day the War ended, Takeda Ryo was tucked in his deathbed. He looked old beyond his years, skin pulled taught over bone, pale as a banshee on the night of the full moon. Tiger blue eyes glittered dully as he watched his family gather around him. He didn't hurt- he'd lost the feeling of pain and touch some time ago, when his grandmother started mixing numbing agents in his broth.  
  
Only those at the Fortress knew, of course- Ryo had never told anyone- had forced those who did know to keep silent. He hadn't wanted sympathy; he had always known this would happen. Even his wife, a young woman he had met in America named Luna, hadn't known he was ill until a few months ago, when she caught him on the engawa hacking up a lung.  
  
Grandmother had explained it to her. Ryo had been too tired to speak.  
  
Everyone in the Fortress was there, watching him, supporting him through his passing. The Warrior-Priest- or rather, Priestess, was his cousin Urakami Asuka. Her and her huband lived here, had lived here since Ryo was young. He was grateful, it was comforting. Training, he'd heard, was cancled for the next few days. It was as though the world had stopped for just him.  
  
Whiteblaze nuzzled his hand, demanding to be petted. Ryo only knew because he could see it- aformentioned hand was on his chest. His friend looked so sad... "Hay..." Ryo was surprised he still had a voice in the first place, surprised it sounded as strong as it did, only barely tinged with disease. Something of who he was would survive this, at any rate. He had thought it would be the first thing to go. "Did you bring me dinner?" Probably not. Ryo knew very well that the ancient tiger was far more aware of how long he had than anybody else.  
  
He was dimly aware of the fact that some of the faces around him held tears. More than some- most. Kagerou and Luna were both putting on brave faces, but he could tell. Still, perhaps the sadest face of all was Junshin, the little french girl with blond curls, who had been his psudo-protogue since she had come here. She still had four more years... and yet, she already cried silent tears. Ryo felt so bad for this to be when he learned such a thing. He still wasn't sure when she had begun to use him for a pillow, but he had been awakend earily this morning by the arrival of her fathers; she had not stirred. In fact, she had stubbornly not left his room the last week. He doubted she would.  
  
Ryo wondered who would Apprentice her when she graduated. He didn't know. Maybe Sage... Yeah. Halo would do it for an old friend.  
  
"Junshin-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Ryo-dono?"  
  
"Have you thought about your Apprenticeship yet?"  
  
"You." That single word was crushing. Ryo had always known he couldn't, that he would never live that long.  
  
He closed his eyes and resisted the urge to sigh. He did not have enough breath to go expelling it in such a manner. "You want to use a nodachi, don't you? I'm not real great with one." Oh sure, he knew how, but it wasn't something he had ever done in this lifetime. It wasn't anything his body knew.  
  
"But..."  
  
"I know someone better." Better was a word Junshin understood. A word with only one true meaning, and one she always applied to herself. By the way Junshin's face brightend, he knew he had lightend the mood. She would get better, for him.  
  
He died later that night, about the time the moon was high. There was a smile on his face. The whole clan was requested to make an appearance at his funeral three days later. They gave his widow blessings and paid the heir's unborn child a few yen, to help in the future.


End file.
